


Old Habits of a Blanket-Hog

by EternalSurvivor



Category: Naruto
Genre: A little bit of angst, Bisexual Shikamaru, Internal Monologue, M/M, Mentions of Shikaku's death, Nara Shikamaru-centric, Naruto is a blanket-hog, Nighttime musings, No Beta, Old Habits Die Hard Trope... Kinda, Retrospective (I think?), Romantic Fluff, Shikamaru is cold, This turned out a lot sappier than I wanted, We Die Like Men, Where did the comedy go?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-11-09 05:04:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17995391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EternalSurvivor/pseuds/EternalSurvivor
Summary: Shikamaru gets lost down memory lane when he wakes up to discover Naruto stole all the blankets.





	Old Habits of a Blanket-Hog

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aryagraceling](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aryagraceling/gifts).



> For convenience, I decided the Jounin Exams are done in pairs instead of a three person squad. Just keep that in mind. I am gifting this story to Aryagraceling as they expressed enjoyment of the Shikamaru/Naruto pairing. It's not Iruka and Shikamaru, but maybe I will get inspiration for that pairing next? :)

Half asleep, he didn’t register the first few shivers quiver down his back. Rolling onto his side, he curled one arm beneath his head for a pillow. Brows furrowed in irritation. A tiny voice in the back of his head reminded him of the actual pillow he’d drifted off to sleep on only scant hours ago. With a heavy sigh, Shikamaru Nara sat up on the bed. Taking a moment for his eyes to adjust, he reached over to snap on the lamp. The dim glow drew a snort from the lump of blankets at his side. The mound shifted ever so slightly; a moment’s pause, then a loud snore. Naruto Uzumaki had somehow wrapped himself up in a thick, blanket cocoon.

Shikamaru rubbed his bare arm; a half-hearted attempt to stave off the chill. Winter was settling over Konoha like a thick blanket. His skin was cold to the touch. His shoulders slouched in irritation, one hand scrubbed through loose brown hair. “What a drag...” For the genius he was, the Nara never considered his lover would be a cover-hog.

They didn’t have much in way of a relationship. Not really. A lingering touch. The squeeze of a hand. Life had a knack for getting in the way. It had taken almost dying in a war for him to admit the attraction to himself. Somewhere along the line, his feelings for Naruto shifted from platonic to romantic. He wasn’t the only one, however, so Shikamaru didn’t dwell on it much. He thought of Temari in a similar way, even Ino in passing. All three were bold, good-looking and confident. Maybe he had a thing for blondes? Gender was never a defining trait for him. No matter the reasons, he chalked it up as a passing fancy and nothing more.

In the months that followed, Shikamaru spared only the most fleeting of indulgent thoughts. Naruto had a nice ass. Ino knew how to draw the eye with those sauntering hips. Temari could do this thing with her tongue- That was all true. But his new responsibilities as Clan Head and Hokage Assistant, on top of rebuilding an entire village left very little time to grieve his father’s death, let alone romantic pursuits. Some days felt like a busy, hectic blur.

Yet somehow, Naruto was always there to lighten the darkest moments. A warm hand on his shoulder, a wave and “Yo! Shikamaru!” as he passed, working twice as hard as anyone else to rebuild, catching him sleeping over scrolls and texts as he studied for the chunin and then jonin exams. Those fleeting encounters always seemed to occur just when everything -griefresponsibilityexpectationsloneliness- threatened to overwhelm. That unwavering determination somehow became his beacon. Shikamaru knew it to be unintentional. Naruto was just being Naruto. That didn’t stop his ‘passing fancy’ from taking root to mature into a steady, firm affection.

The day Naruto asked him to be his partner for the jounin exams, Shikamaru knew he was in too deep. “Why me?” He’d asked, genuinely curious for once. Sure, Sakura had made jounin in the last exam and Sasuke had yet to return from his search for redemption, but they had plenty of other friends. Many of which were planning on taking the exam themselves. Shikamaru was perfectly content with his current ranking. Jounin would come when the need arouse.

Naruto simply replied with, “Well why not? You always stand at my side”. If someone could motivate him off his lazy butt, it was Naruto.

The exams second stage almost killed him. Even Naruto’s nearly endless chakra reserves barely held out. When they pulled each other across the finish line, battered and exhausted, Shikamaru knew he was in love. Maybe it was the chakra exhaustion, or the sudden, unexpected realization of his own feelings hindering his self-control. Who knew? With Naruto kneeling next to him, his arm still slung over the blonde’s shoulders, grinning and giddy at their unbelievable fortune, Shikamaru’s inhibitions went out the metaphorical window. “I love you.” He’d blurted out. In that moment, he’d never been so sure of anything in his life.

He remembered how still the blonde had gone. Shocked, he identified, thinking back on it now. For a moment, the two stared at each other.

Then Naruto grinned with tears in his eyes.

Shikamaru shook his head to clear the memories, taking a moment to study the snoring blanket pile next to him. This was their first time spending the night together. “Hey Naruto. Quit hogging the blanket.” He was so wound up in there, he couldn't see a single strand of blonde hair. He caught the quilt between his fingers and gave a tug.

Nothing happened.

“Troublesome man...” Shikamaru yawned, rubbing his neck with another sigh. By this point, he could feel goosebumps rising on his bare arms. “Wake up.” He yanked the quilt harder.

There was a startled snort as Naruto flopped onto his back. The blankets ruffled, tanned fingers curling around the edge. The cover-hog in question, squinted blearily up at his lover in the dim lamp light. “Shika...? Whaddaya want…?”

“A blanket would be nice.”

Naruto blinked, then grinned sheepishly when he realized exactly what he’d done. “Sorry...” He rubbed the back of his head. "'Always sleep like this in the cold..." Untangling from the blankets a bit, he held an arm open in invitation. A faint blush had crept into his cheeks. “Never shared a bed with someone before.”

Too tired to press the point further, Shikamaru flipped the lamp back off and settled against his lover’s side. Naruto was warm and inviting. An arm encircled his shoulders, drawing him closer for a sleepy kiss. “Guess old habits die hard, neh?”

Shikamaru's head fell onto Naruto's shoulder. “This might be one worth overlooking.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of my favourite, unconventional pairings. I seem to like getting lost in Shikamaru's head. Haha. 
> 
> Constructive criticism welcomed and hoped for. Still rusty and getting back into the swing of writing short stories again. Any comments are appreciated!


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